Browns: Jeff Garcia willing to return if Browns need him

The official word won’t come until Wednesday morning when Coach Rob Chudzinski conducts his regularly scheduled news conference, but according to the team release previewing the game against the Chiefs on Sunday, Brandon Weeden remains the Browns starting quarterback.
On Monday, Chudzinski said he and his assistants would discuss options at quarterback and all positions and then start the players “that give us the best chance to win.” Apparently, he still believes Weeden is better than Jason Campbell despite the fact the Browns (3-4) lost all four games Weeden started.
The Weeden decision is no surprise. What is a surprise is earlier Tuesday former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia, who played for the Browns — and not very well in 2004 — called the Browns and said he would like a tryout. He then called WKRK-FM 92.3 and told “The Bull and the Fox Show” about his call.
The Browns told him thanks, but no thanks.
“I actually reached out to the Browns, and said, ‘Hey, if you need a guy to come in, work me out, take a look, ‘” Garcia said. “I don’t know if people want me back in Cleveland, but I’m open to the opportunity.”
Garcia is 43 and currently working as an analyst for the NFL Network. He compared himself to Brian Hoyer, who after getting only one start in four years with the Patriots, Steelers and Cardinals, finally got his chance with the Browns. Hoyer, a St. Ignatius graduate, piloted victories over the Vikings and Bengals in his first two starts with the Browns and then suffered a season-ending torn right ACL in the game against the Bills on Oct. 3
“It’s unfortunate with what’s happened,” Garcia said in the radio interview. “I thought that when Brian Hoyer stepped on the field and the way that I saw him play against Minnesota, some of the things that he was doing on the field from a decision-making standpoint, the quickness that he was getting the ball out of his hands, anticipating, putting the ball on the spot. He was accurate. He was athletic enough to extend plays if he needed to.
“I was really excited about where the team was going with him as the quarterback, and I think a lot of people around there thought the same thing. Unfortunately’ the injury happened and it was back to the old ways of working with what they had before.”
Garcia was 3-7 as a starter for the Browns in 2004. He threw 10 touchdown passes and nine interceptions and posted a 76.7 passer rating. He played for seven teams in 12 NFL seasons, posted a record of 58-58 and threw 161 touchdown passes and 83 interceptions.
He said he does not foresee Weeden turning the team around as Hoyer did.
“I just don’t see the same abilities on the field translating as to how Brian ran the offense in comparison to how Weeden runs the offense,” Garcia said. “What I hoped would happen is that Brandon Weeden would see how Brian was playing the game and try to emulate that. And I just don’t think it’s translated in that sort of way.”
Garcia’s last significant time in the NFL was in 2008 with Tampa Bay when he played in 12 games. He completed 244 of 376 passes for 2,712 yards with 12 touchdown passes and six interceptions.Roster moves
The Browns signed wide receiver Bryan Tyms off the Dolphins practice squad and released wide receiver Tori Gurley. Tyms, 6-foot-3, 204 pounds, is in his first NFL season out of Florida A&M. Originally signed by San Francisco as an undrafted free agent on May 4, 2012, Tyms spent all of 2012 and the first seven weeks this season on the Dolphins’ practice squad. He caught 45 passes in two years at Florida A&M.
Defensive back Julian Posey was re-signed to the practice squad.

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About the Author

Jeff has covered the Cleveland Browns since 1981. He also covers the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League and the Cleveland Gladiators in the Arena Football League. Reach the author at jschudel@morningjournal.com
or follow Jeff on Twitter: @JSBrownsInsider.